ABSTRACT
Depression knows no borders. It can affect anyone regardless of age, race, socioeconomic background, level of education, or gender. Depression has many possible contributing factors, including some that are biologically based (such as genetic predispositions, diseases, side effects of medications, and biochemical anomalies), some that are environmentally based (such as social factors and situational stressors), and some that are psychologically based (such as temperament and style of coping). Given the range of factors that can trigger depression in anyone, it is not surprising that depression also affects individuals with autistic spectrum disorders (ASD), a complex neurobiological pervasive developmental disorder. Depression may even affect this clinical population to an even greater degree than occurs in the general population (Kim, Szatmari, Bryson, Streiner, & Wilson, 2000).
